that t to do that, but the only two negotiators that matter right now are the president and speaker boehner. and as i mentioned before-- again, i understand there are two sides of this tale-- the president is really not yet offering the kind of reforms that would make these programs solvent for the long haul so we're trying to think how do we get there. so very healthy discussion today. i'm enthused about today, and i hope we'll resolve this over the course of the next several weeks. >> woodruff: senator bob cork ethank you very much. >> thank you. >> woodruff: we will have more perspectives in the coming days. >> ifill: next, two takes on the war in syria. as the conflict rages on, there are new concerns this week that the assad government is moving closer to the use of chemical weapons. jeffrey brown has that part of the story. >> brown: the syrian civil war has now closed in on president bashar al-assad's seat of power, with rebel gunfire ringing out again today in damascus. amateur video also showed new shelling in the capital, as government forces continued a push to retake key suburbs